Best Practices For Healthy Teeth
Having healthy teeth isn’t just about making sure you brush twice a day and floss regularly. It’s also about being wary of the foods you eat and avoiding any habits that will damage your teeth over time. To keep your teeth strong and healthy, teeth not only look better, but they also last longer, which means you’ll save money on dentist visits, dental restorations, and other dental expenses in the long run.
Steps To getting Healthy White Teeth
What practices should you follow to keep your teeth healthy? Try these six best practices for healthy teeth.
- Brush at Least Twice A Day
A toothbrush may be your most important tool in keeping your teeth and gums healthy. Brushing at least twice a day (once before bed) is recommended to remove plaque that leads to tooth decay and gum disease. Make sure you’re brushing long enough. You should brush for two minutes, which means that every time you brush, you should spend a full minute on each quadrant of your mouth (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left).
Brush with care: It’s important not to scrub too hard when brushing. Using an electric toothbrush with rotating bristles can help eliminate excessive scrubbing and help ensure cleaner teeth. If you are doing it wrong, don’t forget to visit Trillium Dental for proper guidance.
- Floss Once a Day
It may seem old-fashioned but flossing remains one of the best practices for healthy teeth. Some dental organizations recommend that you floss once per day. Flossing is critical to removing bits of food and plaque from your teeth that brushing can’t reach. While our toothbrushes work wonders on most areas of our teeth, only flossing will remove unwanted matter between two closely spaced teeth. As such, if you have any gaps between your teeth, it’s time to pick up a roll of floss and start cleaning!
- Use Mouthwash After Every Meal
One of these best practices is to brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste twice a day. Ideally, you should use mouthwash at least once after every meal as well. If you use sugar-free gum, that’s even better. Sugar-free gum helps strengthen your teeth and gets rid of bacteria in your mouth, leading to plaque build-up.
- Eat Natural Foods
Avoid processed and artificial foods when possible and replace these with whole foods. The organic your food is, the better you’ll be able to maintain your teeth’ healthy state. Additionally, try to eat foods that contain a high amount of vitamins B-12 and D; they help fight against periodontal disease—one of several major oral health issues.
- Drink Fluoride Mouthwash
Fluoride is an important ingredient in helping your teeth stay healthy and prevent decay. One of the best ways to get a daily dose of fluoride is by swishing with a solution of fluoride mouthwash after brushing your teeth. Look for one that contains at least 1,000 parts per million (ppm) of fluoride to ensure you’re getting enough protection from cavities and bad breath.
- Visit Your Dentist Regularly
You’d be interested in how many people forget to visit their dentist regularly. Schedule a regular check-up with your dentist at least twice a year and discuss the queries you have regarding your oral health.
Conclusion
While your Trillium Dental Ottawa dentist can give you more advice on keeping your teeth white and healthy, you now have a pretty good handle on some simple practices that will go a long way. Use these as guides for brushing your teeth correctly, drinking plenty of water every day, scheduling regular check-ups and visits to your dentist, and taking care of any dental issues right away. With these habits in place, you’ll be protecting yourself from tooth decay (and other problems) for years to come.
